Lake Michigan levels highest since late 1990s

Wednesday

Sep 3, 2014 at 8:00 PM

By Jim.Hayden@hollandsentinel.com(616) 546-4274

Water levels on Lake Michigan continue to climb, with August levels more than a foot above last year.“We’ve had a very wet several months in a row,” said Keith Kompoltowicz, Army Corps chief hydrologist, about why levels continue to rise.“These are the highest lake levels we’ve seen since the late 1990s,” he said.All the Great Lakes except Ontario are above last year’s levels. Lake Ontario is at last year’s level, according to the Corps.Lakes Michigan-Huron was at 578.99 feet above sea level for August, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The two lakes are treated as one because they are joined at the Straits of Mackinac.August’s levels are 0.05 feet above July and 1.31 feet above last year.The lake is about 3 inches below its long-term average of 579.23 feet.Lake Michigan levels could still meet or surpass the long-term average this fall, the first time since 1998, according to the Corps.The key to increased levels is evaporation. Most of that occurs in the fall.“When we see cooler air temperatures when the water is relatively warm, that’s when we see an increase in evaporation,” Kompoltowicz said.This year, though, water temperatures have been cooler, so evaporation might not be as extensive as in past years, he said.The higher water levels have allowed Saugatuck and Douglas to hold back on expensive emergency dredging in Kalamazoo Lake and look at long-term solutions for siltation in the harbor.— Follow Jim Hayden on Twitter@SentinelJim.